Harp



July 22, 1924.

' w. l. KIRK 1'501'907 HARP Filed Aug. 19. 1 921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/ml @Mq l Julyzz 1924.v

w. l. KIRK HARP Fifed Aug` 19. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ewen July 2z, 1924. 1,501,907

l W'. l. KIRK HARP Filed Aug- 19. 1921 4 sheets-Sheet 4 jzfglo,

1,501,911? PATENTL OFFICE.

WALTER I. KIRK, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HARP. l

Application lcd August 19,1921. Serial No. 493,626.

To aN whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER I. Kink; a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and `State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Harps, of which the following is a full; clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to harps and particularly to means for controlling the strings thereof.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and effective construction of harp.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for controlling' one or more strings so as to damp the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide such damping means which will damp practically all the strings of the harp.

Another object of the invention is to provide practical and effective means for controlling such damping arrangement.

Another object of the invention is to permit the operation of the damping means either by foot power or manually.

In the acompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of va harp embodying my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on lines 2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the lower portion ofthe harp;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of an upper portion of the harp;

Fig. 5is a cross section taken on line 5 5 in F ig. 4; p

Figs. 6 and 7 are cross sections taken on lines 6 6 and 7 7 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 8 and 9 are views of details of construction;

Fig. 10 is a view of a pedal mechanism for operating the damper; j

Fig. 11 is a view' of an upper part of the har 12 and 13 are views of details of construction Fig. 14 is a cross section taken on line 14 14 in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 14; and Y Fig. 16 is a view of a detail of construction.

Fig. 17 is a view of a detail of construction.

Referring to the drawings, and especially Fig. 1, I show a harp A having a base 1; a body 2, column 3; neck 4; and strings The construction of these parts may be varied.

In accordance with my invention I provide a damper arrangement by which one or more, `preferably almost all of the strings 5, may be damped. The arrangement shown comprises a damping device or damper 6 preferably in the form of a rod or bar having a curvature substantially corresponding with the under side of the neck 4 and mounted near such under side of the neck so that it may be moved back and forth to and away from the strings 57 so that when the damper 6 is against the strings 5 the same will be damped, and when moved away from the strings, the latter will be free to vibrate in the usual or normal manner.

The mounting for permitting the support 1 of the damper 6 and also the movement of the same toward and away from the strings 5, preferably involves a plurality of substantially aligned brackets 7 7, (Figs. 1.; 4, 14 and 15). Each of these brackets 7 is provided with'upwardly extending arms3 and 9, which are secured as by screws 10 1O to frame pieces 11 and 12; respectively, forming part of the neck 4. In each one of these brackets 7 is mounted a bolt 13, one end of which 14 is provided with worm threads, and the other end of which is mounted in a bearing 15 in the bracket arm 9. i

Said other or small end of the bolt 13 projects fromthe outer side of the arm 9 and is connected with the damper 6 by means o f a screw 16 fitted into said end of t-he bolt 13. The thread for the screw 16 is left handed and a collar 17. is itted over the end of the bolt 13 and a washer 18 arranged next to e the outer surface of the arm 9. A coiled spring 19 encloses the intermediate portion of the'bolt 13. A sleeve 2O is fitted over the threaded end 14 of the boltv 13, the interior of the sleeve 2G being correspondingly threaded. A projection or arm 21 or 21a is arranged at the inner end of the sleeve 20, being preferably made integral therewith. An adjusting nut 22 is fitted on the exteriorly threaded end of the sleeve 20, so as to permit adjustment and tightening of said sleeve. The arms 21 or 21a of the several sleeves 2O in the plurality of brackets 7 are connected togetherby a long link or rod 23, (Figi 11), whereby all of said arms 21 andl 21a may be actuated in uniso-n. Arm 21 differs from arms 21a in having two pivots provided forr connecting links thereto, while arms 2,1a have a single pivot connection. When the' bar 23 is moved in one direction', as for example, to the left in Figu11', the sleeves 2O will be turned in thebrackets 7 and this turning movement will cause the screws 14 to be moved in a direction to the left, referring to Fig. 14, whereby the damper 6 which is carried by the bolts 14, will bemoved toward and'to the strings 5. l/ilhen the rod 23 is moved in the opposite direction, as for example tothe right in Fig. 11, the bolts 13 will be movedin the opposite direction and will thereby pull the damper 6 in a direc'- tion away from the strings Thus the damper may be moved towardvand away from and applied to and removed, from' the strings by lengthwise movement of the bar 23. v l

r`s an arrangement for operating the bar .2,7, l show a rod 23h connecting arm 21 toa bell crank lever 24 pivoted at 25 and pivotally connected with rod 26 which vis preferably extended downwardly in the longitudinal space or cavity 27 in the column 3.' The lower end of the rod 26 is pivotally connected at 2S to a link 29 which is pivoted at 30 and whose other end is pivctally connectedV at 31 to a foot lever 32 havi a projecting'pedal Thus by operating pedal 33 the damperf 'may be'ac tiiated to apply it'or withdrawitfrom the strings. The pedal 33 is preferably arranged as one of a series of pedals, as shown in lig, 2, lt isv provided with a spring 34 to hold it normally in an elevated position. rlie other pedals 36, 37, 38, S39, 40 and 41, may be 'the pedals for sharpin'g the str" vjsv of a double action harp, the same mgmounted'in the base 1.

ln order to permit lthe operation ofthe damper by hand as well as by foot, I show a handlever 42 (Fig. 11"), the saine being pivotally mounted at A bell crank end Y44 ofthe hand lever 42 is pivotally connected to a link 45 which is in turn pivotally connected tothe endinost arm 21, whereby by operating the'lever 42, the link 23 will be shifted and the threaded bolts V13j oper- Y ated to;r more the damper 6, as previously explained. ln order that the hand operation ofthe rod 23 may not interfere or cause the operation of the foot lever 32 and associated parts, the link 23b is preferably provided. witha slot'23*, permitting the lon# y gitudinal movement of the link` 231 in a direction to the` left, (Fig 11.), without moving the bell crank 24. The operation of the bell crank 24, however, by the rod 26 wise and close to the upper ends offthe strings', supporting brackets for said rod o'rj bar, said brackets being secured to the neckv of the harp, threaifled bolts in sa-id'brackets and the bolts being connected with the damp'- er, lthreaded sleeves surrounding on said sleeves, a single link connected with all of said arms and extending' cross-wise of the harp strings substantially the entire length of said damper, whereby a longitudi-Vv nal movementof said link will cause a corresponding aXial rotaryl movement on the partv ef all of'said eccentric arms so as' to adjust said damper toward and "away from tlieV strings evenly throughout rits. entire length', a bell crank on 'the harp necknear the upper eiid of `the column, saidbell' crank liavinga sliding-pivotal connection y Y Y A the threaded portions of said bolts, crank arms with the adjacent endof saidV sliding rod or Y bar, a link arranged in said column and havf ing its upper end connected'with the other end of the said bell crank and its lower end extended down to the base of thecolumn, a foot lever connected with the lower endof said last mentioned link for actuating-the same by foot power, and a hand lever' mounted on the harp neck on one sideof the same, said lever being pivoted vbetween itsv ends and one of its ends being formed in the shape of a handle for manual opera-VY tion and the. other end having'a pin having a sliding connection with a supplemental link whose other end is pivotally connected with one of said eccentric arms, Vwhereby said longitudinally adjustable link may be actuated by said hand lever and also where; by the actuation of said link by foot will not` interfere with hand opei'ation'and vice" versa; ln witness my naine-this 17th day of July A. 1921. WALTER i. Kink. l

whereof, l hereunto subscribe 

